Apparatus for making pairs of profiled interfitting frames of plastic

ABSTRACT

Profiled interfitting pairs of frames of plastic material, such as sash frames and window wings, door frames and doors, or the like, which are provided with interengaging sealing surfaces separating the pair of frames from each other, are cast in a single working step in a common mold which is subdivided into two mold cavities for the pair of frames by mounting a separating member within the mold having complementarily shaped side surfaces defining snugly interengaging sealing surfaces of the completed pair of frames.

United States Patent [1 1 Thams APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAIRS OF PROFILED INTERFITTING FRAMES OF PLASTIC Hans Thams, Ellernreihe 64/5,

[76] Inventor:

Hamburg, Germany [22] Filed: Apr. 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 138,726

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 1970 q m n 't'f7::;::::..:; .017

52 US. c|... 249/129, 249/130 [51] Int. Cl B28b 7/24 [58] Field of Search 249/129, 131

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,285,816 11/1918 Singers et a1, 249/129 X 1 Jan. 1, 1974 Primary Examinen-Robert D. Baldwin Azt0rneyRichards & Geier 5 7 ABSTRACT Profiled interfitting pairs of frames of plastic material, such as sash frames and window wings, door frames and doors, or the like, which are provided with interengaging sealing surfaces separating the pair of frames from each other, are cast in a single working step in a common mold which is subdivided into two mold cavities for the pair of frames by mounting a separating member within the mold having complementarily shaped side surfaces defining snugly interengaging sealing surfaces of the completed pair of frames.

3 Claims, Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAIRS OF PROFILED INTERFITTING FRAMES OF PLASTIC BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At present various methods for making sash frames and window wings of plastic material are known.

, On the one hand complete windows including a frame and a window wing and similar structures may be made of extruded profiled rods or pressed members which are welded together, or the prefabricated members are adhered or screwed together. It is also known to produce one-piece window wings and sash frames, for example by casting or hot pressing. The parts individually produced in accordance with these known methods must subsequently be fitted together, and therefore require the' provision of elastomer seals. This requires additional machining operations.

It is also common practice to manufacture the sas frames and window wings of windows separately by initially placing hoses of plastic material covered with mats of glass fiber into a mold then to close the mold, and feeding polyester under slight pressure into the same, while simultaneously generating a vacuum by suction within the mold. The polyester fed into the mold impregnates the mats of glass fiber and fills the spaces formed between the glass fibers. Window wings as well as sash frames are manufactured according to this method, but separate molds are required for the sash frames and the window wings. The molds are adjustable to adapt them to dimensional variations of the sash frames and the window wings.

However, the numerous known proposals to manufacture windows of plastic material are not satisfactory, since practice has shown that it is impossible to provide sealing surfaces assuring a tight sealing fit. The molds required for manufacturing individual sash frames and window wings necessitate greatest precision. Wear of the wall surfaces, after numerous castings have been made, causes inaccuracies of the sealing surfaces, and, besides this, the manufacture of such precision molds is rather expensive.

1 Also a method for making molds is known serving to cast parts of epoxy resins, other than sash frames and window wings, or the like. Thus, amongst others, it is known to make molds from gelatinized elastic materials for curved structural elements consisting of curable plastic material, which molds are profiled by impressions, wherein initially a mold plate of elastomer plastic material is made on a planar prototype and formed at one side with the respective profile, while the other side is planar. Subsequent to the gelatinizing this mold plate is snugly fitted and fixed with its planar side to a parent body, the curvature of which corresponding to the structural element to be made. In this manner it is possible to use one master piece and make differently curved wall portions for motor vehicles from plastic material, however not parts with matching wall portions, such as window wings and sash frames with sealing profiles.

According to another known method window frames and door frames are made of tubular core members using molds for encasing them in epoxy resin, wherein the epoxy resin is cast around a frame made of commercial metal tubes. The aim of this is to achieve a better economy, a greater strength of the entire profile and an increased connection stiffness to the window frame.

Based on this proposal a method for making sash frames and window wings from plastic material in a casting process by using a mold has been developed, wherein initially a prefabricated window wing including a peripheral sealing profil is placed into the mold, whereupon the casting process of the sash frame takes place, simultaneously forming the sealing profile of the window wing, whereby a maximum seal of the interengaging window members is to be achieved, due to the fact that the unevennesses, which have resulted in the sealing profile of the window wing are inversely duplicated when casting the sealing profile of the sash frame.

According to an advantageous further development of this latter method it has been proposed to initially cast the window wing in a mold with a sealing profile provided around its periphery, and to cast directly subsequently, in the same mold, while the window wing is still in a warm state and has not been cured yet, the sash frame, and thereby directly forming the sealing profile of the window structure, whereupon the window wing and the sash frame are removed out of the mold in unison, and then are separated from each other, whereby the economy and also the exactness of the profile are to be increased yet.

These three latter known methods are afiicted with the drawback that they are still too economical, because initially the window wing is cast and brought to rigidity, and only thereafter the sash frame may be cast whereby the sealing profile is formed. For manufacturing a single window structure more than one hour is required, since the casting and curing of the window wing and of the sash frame requires each about half an hour, and since the time required to seal the separating medium onto the separating surface is considerable, and therefore expensive.

Therefore, the invention aims to improve the manufacturing method to achieve a better economy, wherein the finished product is to be a window structure ready to be shipped and to be installed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the entire window structure is cast in a single working operation in a common mold with a preferably tapered contacting and sealing separating surface between the sash frame and the window wing, wherein the separation is achieved by means of a separating element with fully equal profiles at both sides. In this manner the window wing and the sash frame can solidify simultaneously, whereby practically half of the casting time and the above mentioned additional subsidiary time required in connection with the known methods is saved.

An especially suitable device for carrying through the method according to the invention has been provided, comprising a mold and a separating member subdividing the mold into a mold cavity for the sash frame and a mold cavity for the window wing, which separating member has an effective area corresponding to the sealing profile between the sash frame and the window wing, and being contoured equally at both sides. Such a mold is especially easy to handle, particularly so, if it is made of hollow aluminium profiles. The separating member assures absolutely equal contours with respect to the sealing, or contacting surfaces provided at the window wing and the sash frame, and besides this the installation is simple and the structure is easy to handle.

For the sake of simplicity the mold may be constructed as a one-piece mold, provided the profiled structure to be made in accordance with the invention does not include particular projections, which would make it difficult or impossible to empty a one-piece mold. This one-piece construction will always be used advantageously in connection with a window structure which does not include recesses in the window wing for the window pane, but in which the latter is retained by 7 two ledges separately secured to the window wing.

However, if it is desirable to provide a recess against which the windowpane is urged subsequently by a ledge, then a bipartite mold may be used made of hollow profiles. The mold may be provided with mounting means for the separating member, preferably in form of holes, slots, or the like, whereby it is possible, for instance, to retain the separating member in contacting engagement with the mold, or within the same respectively, by applying a vacuum through these holes or slots.

If it is desired to provide a cavity in the sealing surface between the sash frame and the window wing, to thereby achieve an especially effective seal, the separating member may, according to another feature of the invention, be provided with the intermediate portion enlarged with respect to the remaining thickness; for example it may consist of two superposed equally contoured parts formed in such a manner that these parts, after being assembled to form the separating member, will form a cavity between themselves in the zone of the intermediate portion.

For achieving a perfect seal between the sash frame and the window wing, it has been found to be of advantage to arrange the separating member with its effective area within the mold relative thereto in such a manner that a tapered sealing surface is formed between the sash frame and the window wing. By means of such a sealing surface, especially in connection with the above described hollow space it is possible to easily compensate any clearance caused by the insertion of the separating member during the casting process. Depending on the thickness of the separating member used'in each case a more or less deep drop of the window wing into the sash frame will take place, i.e.,- the sealing effect is achieved in this case due to the tapered construction of the contacting surface.

According to another feature of the invention the separating member may be very thin, and even a foil may be used. For example a readily deep-drawable foil of acetate may be used,.allowing. to provide any desired profile in a simple and economical manner. The foil may even be used as packing material and/or as building material, or as an emergency windowpane respectively, in which case it should cover the entire profiled frame structure.

However, according to the invention, separating members of greater thickness, may be used just as well. In such cases, according to a further advantageous feature, and as shown as an exemplified embodiment, a bipartite mold is used, wherein the first of the two mold sections together with the separating member, which form a unit, is easily placeable into the second mold section, which normally forms the main part or base of the mold, and the mold cavity for the sash frame is disposed within this unit first mold section separating member, while the mold cavity for the window wing is arranged between the separating member ans the second mold section. In this manner the problem of mounting the separating member is solved in an advantageous manner, which now has a sufficient stiffness relative to the mold, and is easy to handle too.

According to an especially advantageous feature of this latter embodiment the mold cavity for the sash frame should be arranged laterally above the mold cavity for the window wing, and the upper edge of the separating member should determine the extent of filling the mold cavity for the sash frame. In this case the casting process is extremely simple, because after filling the mold cavity for the sash frame the epoxy resin will flow over the upper edge of the separating member into the mold cavity of the window wing. Therefore, only one inlet for the total amount of epoxy resin, predetermined by the frame construction is required, thereby avoiding to split the amount of epoxy resin for the window wing and the sash frame by separate measurements. The shifting of the plane between window wing and the sash frame, i.e., the differing height between the two mold cavities, depends entirely an the thickness of the separating member if the surface of the window wing and the sash frame of the finished window are to be disposed in a common plane. In this manner it is possible to compensate for a possible too great drop of the window wing into the sash frame. Followingly several exemplified embodiments of the invention shall be described in connection with the attached dagramatic drawings, which also illustrate window structure which may be manufactured in accordance with the method of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a vertical section of a one-piece mold with a separating member placed therein;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical section of the mold shown in FIG. 1 with a profiled window wing and sash frame contained therein;

FIG. 3 shows a vertical section of another embodiment of the mold, together with a modified sealing profile of the window structure; and

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section of a further embodiment of the mold and the seaprating member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The devices shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 show a one-piece mold 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2), and a bipartite mold (FIG. 3) consisting of two mold sections 11 and 12. Within the mold l a separating member 2 is arranged including an effective area 234 which subdivides the mold into two moldcavities 103 and 104 for a sash frame 3, and a window wing 4 respectively of a window structure to be cast. The separating member 2 is secured to the mold 1, or the mold sections 11, 12 respectively, in the desired position by fastening holes 13, provided in the mold 1, or the mold sections 11, 12 respectively.

In this embodiment the separating member 2 is, with respect to the wall of the mold, very thin and may even be a foil, in which latter case it may be retained by vacuum applied through the holes 13.

The effective area 234 of the separating member 2 is, according to the exemplified embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, formed in such a way that a tapered sealing fit is formed between the window wing 4 and the sash frame 3.

The inner contours of the mold 1, or the mold sections 11 and 12 correspond to the outer dimensions of the window structure to be made wherein, after the mold section 12 is removed from the mold section 11,

' the window structure, including a window wing provided with a recess for the window-pane may be taken out of the mold. The window structure cast in the mold according to FIGS. 1 and 2 must later be provided with ledges for the windowpane.

ln manufacturing a window structure the procedure is as follows: After the mold l'has been set-up, or the mold section 11 and 12 have been assembled respectively, and the separating member 2 has been placed in the desired position epoxy resin may be cast into the mold cavities 103 and 104 simultaneously. Suitably, epoxy resin of low viscosity, such as polyester, or epoxy resin with filling material, and the desired color paste are used which. after adding a corresponding hardening agent, will solidify at room temperature, or by adding heat, thus assuring a precise form of the contoure of the mold cavity. After the frame structure, consisting of the sash frame 3 and the window wing 4, has solidified, the parts are removed out of the mold by releasing the separating member 2, whereupon the mold l, or the mold section 11 respectively, is moved downwardly, while the frame structure is supported on not illustrated ejectors in a known manner at a corresponding level to be removed.

After mounting the necessary hardware on the frame structure the window is ready for shipment. If a foil is used as separating member 2 it is advisable to let it project sufficiently over the sides, so as to be able to use it as a packing foil, or preliminary windowpane. Practically the separating member should not be removed until the frame structure has been installed, and the window is opened for the first time.

Due to the tapered shape of the contacting surfaces between the sash frame and the window wing 4 the clearance caused therebetween by the removal of the separating member is readily compensated so that the window wing 4 by lowering will snugly engage the sash frame. By means of this construction of the sealing surfaces it is assured that the window wing 4 under the action of the hardware is urged especially tight into the sash frame 3, whereby an outstandly good seal is achieved.

A still better sealing effect is achieved in the exemplified embodiment shown in FIG. 3. In this case the separating member 2 is replaced by a separating member consisting of two parts 23, 24 forming two tapered surfaces and therebetween an intermediate part 21. The tapered surfaces preferably include an angle of 70 with the horizontal. By means of the intermediate part 21, which will form in the interior of the mold, or the interior of the contacting surfaces between the sash frame 3 and the window wing 4 respectively, a cavity, it is assured that the window wing 4 may be urged unobstruct-.

edly into the sash frame 3. Again, the two foil parts 23, 24 are equally contoured and merely shifted relative to each other, preferably 3 to 5 mm, so as to form to the intermediate zones 231, 241. Such a cavity may also be provided within the mold in such a manner that prior to the casting a contoured strip with the corresponding dimensions is placed into the mold, wherein this profiled strip may consist of aluminium, card board, or the like, and, of course, also of the separating member 2,

which in this case would have to be enlarged at the corresponding location.

Reenforcings which may possibly be required are shown for completness sake in FIGS. 2 and 3 in phantom lines.

in the exemplified embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a mold la has been subdivided into two mold sections 1 la and 12a, of which the first section 12a forms a unit with a separating member 2a including an upper edge 25a. This unit may easily be inserted into and removed from the second mold section 11a. By the aid of the mold la a profiled frame structure is to be made consisting of a sash frame 3a and a window wing 40 including a sealing profile which is tapered, as in the above described embodiments.

A mold cavity 103a for the sash frame 3a has been provided within the unit first mold section 12a separating member 2a, while a mold cavity 104a for the window wing 4a is formed between the separating member 2a and the second mold section 11a.

The separating member 2a, which has an effective area 234a shown by phantom lines, includes tapered sealing surfaces 203a, 204a, and 203b, 204b respectively, facing the two mold cavities 103a, 104a, and are absolutely equally contoured. These tapered sealing surfaces again include preferably an angle of with the horizontal and are shifted relative to each other, whereby practically a step in form of an intermediate portion 21a is formed at each side of the separate ing member. The intermediate portion 21a will form a cavity in the contacting surface between the sash frame 30 and the window wing 4a. This cavity assures an unobstructed lowering of the window wing 4a toward the sash frame 3a, thus achieving an optimum sealing effect.

The operation with the mold 1a is such that initially the mold cavity 103a is filled, and after it has been filled completely the epoxy resin will flow over the upper edge 25a of the separating member 2a and will fill the mold cavity 1040. Then the sash frame 3a and the window wing 4a will solidify simultaneously, and may then be removed out of the mold in unison by raising the first mold section 12a.

What I claim:

1. Mold means for casting a so-called plastics profiled frame consisting of a pair of interfitting frame elements in the form of a wing and a sash frame, these two elements engaging each other by profiled surfaces in a sealing manner, comprising a common mold for said pair of elements including a separating member having complementarily profiled side surfaces, one side surface defining a mold cavity wall for said sash frame while the other side surface defines a mold cavity wall for said window wing, the separating member thus dividing the mold into two mold cavities, first mold section means together with the separating member forming a unit which is placeable into a second mold section, and wherein the mold cavity for the sash frame is disposed within said unit, while the mold cavity for the window wing is arranged between the separating member and the second mold section, both mold cavities being filled with plastic material in a single continuous 8 ing a weir determining the extent of filling the mold cavity for said sash frame with plastic material and allowing the latter to overflow into the lower cavity for said window wing after the filling of the upper mold cavity has been completed. 

1. Mold means for casting a so-called plastics profiled frame consisting of a pair of interfitting frame elements in the form of a wing and a sash frame, these two elements engaging each other by profiled surfaces in a sealing manner, comprising a common mold for said pair of elements including a separating member having complementarily profiled side surfaces, one side surface defining a mold cavity wall for said sash frame while the other side surface defines a mold cavity wall for said window wing, the separating member thus dividing the mold into two mold cavities, first mold section means together with the separating member forming a unit which is placeable into a second mold section, and wherein the mold cavity for the sash frame is disposed within said unit, while the mold cavity for the window wing is arranged between the separating member and the second mold section, both mold cavities being filled with plastic material in a single continuous operation, thereby forming snugly interengaging sealing surfaces between said pair of frame elements.
 2. A mold according to claim 1, characterized in that the side surfaces of said separating member exposed within said common mold include an angle with the horizontal plane of said mold thereby forming a tapered sealing and separating surface between said pair of frames.
 3. A mold according to claim 1 wherein the mold cavity for said sash frame is arranged laterally and slightly above the mold cavity for said window wing, and the upper edge of said separating member is forming a weir determining the extent of filling the mold cavity for said sash frame with plastic material and allowing the latter to overflow into the lower cavity for said window wing after the filling of the upper mold cavity has been completed. 